34 replies to this topic

[marklaspalmas]

Puff piece about the vastly over-rated ex Leeds full-back John Gallagher here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20276139

In the middle of the dreary article comes this irony-free comment:

Which is, eventually, what happened. But not before Gallagher, a buccaneering 15, had won 18 All Blacks Test caps and the 1987 World Cup.
And it was to rugby league side Leeds that Gallagher returned, triggering an exodus of All Black stars to the dark side that only began to be stemmed when union went full-blown professional in the mid-1990s.

Nice to know that we're still living in the 1970s. Ben Dirs is the ....err... "journalist" in question.

[Gav Wilson]

No worse than Chris Irvine's tweet about watching England v Fiji a few minutes ago.

Stop getting your knickers in a twist.

[marklaspalmas]

Stop getting your knickers in a twist.

Excuse me?

[Dave T]

No worse than Chris Irvine's tweet about watching England v Fiji a few minutes ago.

Stop getting your knickers in a twist.

all i saw was Irvine saying he wonders how long he'll last watching the ru.

That is completely different to the comment in a BBC published article.

[Gav Wilson]

Both sides are as bad as each other for it. Thats all I'm saying.

[marklaspalmas]

Both sides are as bad as each other for it. Thats all I'm saying.

Historically, no they're not. In terms of the resources they have available to them, they will never be the same. Read my OP again and look at your reply. Where did that knickers in a twist comment come from?

[Gav Wilson]

Historically, no they're not. In terms of the resources they have available to them, they will never be the same. Read my OP again and look at your reply. Where did that knickers in a twist comment come from?

You're getting all het up about a throwaway comment about a rival code in a rugby union article.

The exact same thing happens every week in similar rugby league articles. Hell, Ben Dirs' BBC colleague George Riley is one of the worst for it!

It's pointless and pretty hypocritical to complain about it.

[marklaspalmas]

You're getting all het up about a throwaway comment about a rival code in a rugby union article.

The exact same thing happens every week in similar rugby league articles. Hell, Ben Dirs' BBC colleague George Riley is one of the worst for it!

It's pointless and pretty hypocritical to complain about it.

Het up? knickers in a twist? Gave, pull your head out of your backside. Ive made a post on an internet forum. If you think it's boring or pointless, then leave the thread instead of being patronising.

Union has a much much bigger media pull, so whatever George Riley or Chris Irvine is saying is a drop in the ocean compared.

[Gav Wilson]

Het up? knickers in a twist? Gave, pull your head out of your backside. Ive made a post on an internet forum. If you think it's boring or pointless, then leave the thread instead of being patronising.

Union has a much much bigger media pull, so whatever George Riley or Chris Irvine is saying is a drop in the ocean compared.

Christ lighten up will you, it's Saturday!

I never said it was boring, but it is pretty pointless. And I would argue that Riley has a bigger media pull than Dirs in any case.

In my humble opinion. You are moaning for moaning's sake.

I'm off to go pull my head out of my backside now and look for a few matchsticks for my eyes so I can watch England v Fiji...

[marklaspalmas]

Christ lighten up will you, it's Saturday!

I never said it was boring, but it is pretty pointless. And I would argue that Riley has a bigger media pull than Dirs in any case.

In my humble opinion. You are moaning for moaning's sake.

I'm off to go pull my head out of my backside now and look for a few matchsticks for my eyes so I can watch England v Fiji...

More patronising. You're on rare form today. Smiley to show how postmodern I am!
Thanks for that riveting contribution. Perhaps Ill run any future thread by you, just to make sure it's not pointless. Moaning for moaning's sake? On a TRL forum? That's a bit rich Gav.

[Gav Wilson]

Moaning for moaning's sake? On a TRL forum? That's a bit rich Gav.

Well yeah, good point.

Sorry. Just ignore me mate, I've been particularly grouchy this past week or so, hence why I've backed away from twitter for a bit too. I think I need a holiday!

[fieldofclothofgold]

"The dark side"I thought we coined that phrase.John Gallagher took a spear tackle, a welcome to RL very early in his Leeds career.What litle confidence he had left him and never returned.I wonder if he had been brought into the game a little at a time he may have been a success.Maybe if he signed for Wigan ?I dont think he was over rated in union,but he definately didnt make the grade in RL

Edited by fieldofclothofgold, 10 November 2012 - 01:33 PM.

[keighley]

He went to London Broncos and was quite successful for them in Division two. I think he set some records. He could have just walked away from the game once he didn't make it at the top level so I applaud him for sticking with it. I think he played for them in a 2nd div premiership final at Old Trafford in the days of the double header finals.

[marklaspalmas]

Well yeah, good point.

Sorry. Just ignore me mate, I've been particularly grouchy this past week or so, hence why I've backed away from twitter for a bit too. I think I need a holiday!

Fair play, PM sent.

[MrPosh]

@bendirs1 Dark Side? I don't recall RL practising sporting apartheid, playing banned, racist nations or collaborating with Nazis.

@bendirs1 Disgraceful journalism. Might expect it from the old boys from the Tory press, but just dreadful on the BBC.

@mrstulee I think you need to get a grip - it's called empathy, to the All Blacks of the early 90s, league would have been the dark side

@bendirs1 Will we see similar empathy in your next piece to French RL who had their assets stripped by collaborationist RU officials?

@bendirs1 But this is written in 2012 in the UK. 'Empathy' is misplaced and offensive.

@mrstulee No, my next piece is the top 10 most evil rugby league players ever. You'll love it

@bendirs1 What a pathetic and classless response. More fool me for hoping for something better.

[Railway End]

@bendirs1 Dark Side? I don't recall RL practising sporting apartheid, playing banned, racist nations or collaborating with Nazis.

@bendirs1 Disgraceful journalism. Might expect it from the old boys from the Tory press, but just dreadful on the BBC.

@mrstulee I think you need to get a grip - it's called empathy, to the All Blacks of the early 90s, league would have been the dark side

@bendirs1 Will we see similar empathy in your next piece to French RL who had their assets stripped by collaborationist RU officials?

@bendirs1 But this is written in 2012 in the UK. 'Empathy' is misplaced and offensive.

@mrstulee No, my next piece is the top 10 most evil rugby league players ever. You'll love it

@bendirs1 What a pathetic and classless response. More fool me for hoping for something better.

It's so satisfying to think my licence fee money is keeping this idiot in a job. Whatever happened to impartial reporting by the BBC?

[Padge]

Whatever happened to impartial reporting by the BBC?

It never existed

[marklaspalmas]

I started this thread merely to highlight a piece of ######-weak writing from someone paid for his opinions on sport by the BBC. His twitter exchanges with Stuart Lee have since shown Ben Dirs to be exactly the type of arrogant pompous union loving league hating toss er that's riddled mainstream sports journalism for decades. Shame once again on the BBC.

[marklaspalmas]

TRL swear filter strikes again. The hashtags are covering an incredibly inoffensive word for urine.

[Steve May]

TRL swear filter strikes again. The hashtags are covering an incredibly inoffensive word for urine.

Fosters?